


Would you like to dance with me?

by Geekz



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Adittional tags will be added when it comes up, Angst, Dancing, Dreams, Grief, M/M, Sad Times! At The Xhorhouse, Sadness, Tooth Rotting Fluff, lots of canon divergence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 12:16:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20564195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geekz/pseuds/Geekz
Summary: Caleb dreams of memories and fantasies of Molly, and feels a calling to the place they left him. Suspicious but intrigued he goes, and does not like what he finds.





	Would you like to dance with me?

“Alright so,” Molly was pacing back and forth in front of him, tail swishing from left to right quickly. “You’ve actually met the lost prince before?”

“I ah-” Caleb swallowed. “Have, in a manner of speaking.”  
“Well tell me about him then, because I can’t pretend to be him if you don’t tell me what he’s like!” Molly was getting tense now, Caleb could sense it. The latest money scheme made up by the brightest minds of the mighty nein (Jester and Nott) was going to occur tomorrow morning, and now with time closing in and preparations made people were starting to doubt themselves. 

Caleb drew a deep breath. This was going to be a long one.  
“When I was about ten years old the royal caravan came through my village right before harvest season. The royal family does that every once in a while, to keep morale high.” Caleb looked up from the dirt he was staring at and looked up at Mollymauk. The tiefling had sat down across from him on a tree stump. He appeared to be listening intently. “The ah, prince, before he went missing would accompany them. Everyone was lining the streets trying to get closer to the caravan. I was a skinny little thing even back then-” He saw Molly’s lips flash a quick grin. “and I could slip through the crowd and the guards quite easily. Everyone was cheering for the royal family and I had wormed my way forward right up to the caravan and to the prince. He was an adorable tiefling boy, just a little younger then me. When I got there I just stared at him like an idiot, and he started laughing.”  
He lowered his head and felt a smile tug at his lips. When he looked back up he saw Molly in a similar state, trying to stifle his laughter.  
“That’s ridiculous! You were right up in the face of the one and only prince of the Dwendalian empire and just stared like a dumbass!” Now Molly was really laughing; an odd but endearing combination of cackling and yelling. Caleb made a mental note to try and have him make that sound more often.  
“Ja, I did. How about when you meet with the king you try to recount this one?”  
Molly’s laughter died down slowly and he took a big gulp of air, trying to remain serious.  
“I was on a caravan in a little farming town to greet the villagers. I looked around and saw this skinny boy with red hair, covered in dirt-” Caleb huffed at that, Molly just shot him a wink. “Weaseling his way through the massive crowd. He made it all the way to front and just stared at me! When I started laughing he-” Molly’s smile had faded now, making place for a furrowed brow and fearful eyes, looking in Caleb’s direction. “He bowed, Caleb. You bowed.”  
Now the wizard had a fearful look in his eyes. “I never told you that.”  
Molly shot up, hands clasping the side of his face. “Caleb what does that even mean? Does that mean I am-” He looked at Caleb. “I don’t want to be that boy! I am Mollymauk Tealeaf! No one else and nothing else…” Those last words said with a lump in his throat.  
The purple tiefling turned away from Caleb. The human stood up and hesitantly rubbed a hand over Molly’s back. “Mollymauk, this… this is huge. You may be-” Molly’s back tensed.  
“You may have been the prince of the dwendalian empire.”  
Molly’s voice was barely a whisper. “What if I’m really afraid and I don’t want to do this scheme anymore? What if i’m afraid of changing into someone bad again?”  
“Then you don’t have to do it.” Caleb tried to say as determined as he could.  
“We will find another way to that reward money. None of us want you to suffer for some gold.” Mollymauk turned around and embraced Caleb, burying his face in the wizards shoulder the best he could with his horns. Caleb tensed, but relaxed quickly and put his arms around Molly, albeit a little awkwardly.  
“It is a shame though. The prince had a very nice laugh when I was so blessed to hear it. But then so do you.” He could feel Molly shake on his shoulder, but was surprised to see a smile on the tieflings face when it was lifted from his shoulder, the purple arms still around his waist.  
“Are you trying to flirt to cheer me up Mr. Caleb?” The human shrugged, and turned away his quickly warming face. “Perhaps.’

-

Caleb shot up, drenched in cold sweat and breathing heavily. He was in his room in the affectionately named Xhorhouse. He could hear Nott and Yeza's whispering voices from the laboratory. He lowered himself back onto the mattress pulling his thick blanket close. He had a dream, not about fire but about Mollymauk. Molly had left them too soon, changing the courses of all of their lives in the brief time he was there. The hurricane of color and personality had died for them, and Caleb had never spoken of his growing affection. He hardly knew it was there at the time, but delayed, stomped down grief and self loathing will do that to someone. He was in a better place now. Not the best one still, he's getting there.   
Caleb slowed down his breathing and closed his eyes. Further reflection would have to wait until tomorrow, for now he needed rest.

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo this is something I'm working on in my time off. I'm relatively new to this so I'd appreciate (Constructive!) criticism. English is not my native language. Each chapter is based on a song. I'll release the playlist if I ever finish the work.


End file.
